BELIEVERS PRAISE GOD
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE: ACTS 2:32-33, 37-47
KEY VERSE
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2: 42
INTRODUCTION AND STUDY
Have you ever made a mistake?
Have you ever done something based on incomplete information that somebody gave you and it turned out that your mistake was quite a bad one that can come back to damage you and make people upset at you?
When you find out about this mistake how you react? If you have done something really bad to someone without really knowing the seriousness of what you did do you turn around and apologize, and feel very sorry for what you have done and even repented, making a complete turnabout and doing things the right way?
This is what happened to some people who lived in the country of Israel. They had to make a decision as to how they would behave when they found out that they had made a giant size mistake. Their mistake was that they had for many, many thousands of years expected that God would send someone to save them from their enemies, to show the people how they should behave in order to please God, and also to get all kind of sicknesses that they had healed. But they ended up killing the One that came to help and save them.
It is very bad when people who should know better lead people in the wrong direction, give wrong directions, wrong information and it ends up that you have been fooled. But this time it was serious. But God the Father as He promised sent the Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ to save the people of the country Some leaders in Israel hated Jesus, because He told them that they should begin to behave properly and follow the Commandments of God rather than creating their own rules and regulations which were a terrible burden on people.
He told them that if they wanted to really know what God the Father wanted they should listen to Him for God the Father had sent Him to them.
Jesus had come because God the Father sent Him to heal the nation of Israel. He had done a lot of miracles and done everything that God and the Scriptures had said that the Messiah would do. But only a relatively small amount of people had followed Him though they loved that He did all kind of miracles that would benefit them. So they crucified Jesus on a Cross after they told a lot of lies about Him.
But God the Father in Heaven raised Jesus and Jesus went to heaven and sat in a place of power and honour in Heaven.
God the Father promised that after Jesus died on the Cross and returned to Heaven He would send the Holy Spirit in order to help people that believe in Jesus so that their sins would be forgiven and they would not face a terrible guilt for what they had done.
As promised the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost when many thousands of people had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate that Feast day. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit guided him to preach a great sermon pointing out to the people the terrible mistake that they have made.
When the people heard out what they had done, that they had crucified Messiah, they were extremely sad and upset and since they realized the terrible mistake that they made and were fearful of what God the Father would do to them in punishment they asked Peter what they should do to correct the situation. They thought there was no hope for them. They asked Peter, “What should we do?
Peter told them that they should repent and be baptized and God will begin to look on them with favour and forgive their terrible sins.
There was a great revival in Jerusalem and over 3000 people accepted what Peter was saying and repented of their sins. They were saved from eternal death.
Then they all joined together with the other believers and the apostles and disciples and they lived together sharing everything that they had so that nobody was out of food, shelter, clothing or companionship.
This was a great community of people. Some people think that people in the church nowadays should begin to follow the example of these early Christians but some people find it very difficult to make sure that everybody had enough to live.
Our Lesson Study today tells us that no matter how bad our sin is, no matter how many mistakes you made in life, God will forgive us and begin to help us if we repent of our sins. When we hear the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what it does for you, we should take it seriously. We should begin to think about our life and our mistakes, ask for forgiveness and follow everything that God says we should do.
We do not have to worry because God will look after everyone who comes to join His family by believing in Jesus Christ. He has guaranteed that. God the Father has all power and no one can stop His guarantee from working perfectly. So do the right thing. The walk with God and the benefits and protection of the all-powerful Jesus and God the Father will be extremely good for you. There is nothing better.